Salt Lick is a tourist trap with well below average meat at high prices and Rudy's "Country Store" and BBQ is a better convenience store/gas station than a BBQ place. They could be one of the "Worst" BBQ places in the state and their prices are also ridiculous for the poor quality brisket, sausage and prime rib they sell. Suggestion: Go to either Black's or Smitty's in Lockhart, City Market in Luling or Louie Mueller's in Taylor for the best BBQ in Texas.

If the Cooper's in Mason is related to the Cooper's in Llano, it's WAY overpriced for the quality of the BBQ. Have you been "back east" to any of the joints in the Lockhart/Luling area? For my money, Black's BBQ and Smitty's in Lockhart and City Market in Luling are the best in the state. The post oak is simply a better smoke for beef IMO than the mesquite used in many West Texas joints.

Last year the wife and I went on a BBQ tour of Texas. I'd have to agree with Cooper's and City Market. What surprised me was that the best grilled/smoked meal didn't come from a barbecue place. It came from Hudson's on the Bend in Austin. Venison, Rabbit, Smoked Quail, Housemade Venison Sausage, and Achiote marinated Buffalo served with Bush Tomato Sauce, Apple Cider Brandy Sauce, and Madagascar Green Peppercorn Sauce. Appetizer was rattlesnake cakes with a chipotle cream sauce. Best meal I ever had.

This place used to be good back in the 60s and 70's, but has gone drastically downhill since it became a favorite stop for the tour buses. (And don't get me started on that joke of a place called Salt Lick 360 in Austin that serves "warmed up" BBQ). SL is in the same league now with County Line, NOT the likes of the great BBQ joints in Lockhart, Luling and Taylor. Cooking on a number of pits leads to inconsistant meats and the prices are way too high. Seven bucks for a chopped beef sandwich? Their all you can eay deal isn't worth seven bucks...

The Salt Lick is OK. I do not consider the BBQ good. It is always very greasy and they serve it wet (covered in sauce). To me...if you have to cover your meats in sauce you have sometig to hide. If you think that the Salt Lick is the best in Texas you need to get out more. For BBQ served family style that is a whole lot better than the Salt Lick try the Cyclone Corral in Cyclone, Texas. You won't even want to go to the Salt Lick anymore after you eat at the Corral.

The Rudy's chain of BBQ joints are pretty good. However there are inconsistances between stores. The best one that I have been to is on Hwy 360 in Austin. The food has always been good and is consistantly the same ever time I go there. Thier sauce is pretty spicy. Some people that I have taken there don't care for the spicy sauce, but they alway love the Q. I can always count on Rudy's on 360 when I need a BBQ fix.

Your review of Salt Lick was right on as not being very good, so I'm surpised you mentioned Rudy's as being good BBQ. I live pretty close to the one on 360 and it has always been to me a "fake old timey" BBQ place and hokey at that. Not to mention their BBQ is very overpriced and very average. The brisket has never been cooked long enough and doesn't have much smoke flavor at all and their chopped beef sandwich was probably the worst I have ever eaten (including 7-11). Their sausage was grocery store quality and $7/lb. Are you kidding me? I'll heat up some Earl Campbell links at less than half the cost and twice the flavor. I'll gladly drive the half hour to Lockhart, Elgin or Taylor for REAL BBQ any day than eat at pretty much any BBQ store in Austin. John Mueller's meat is good sometimes, but inconsistant.

Never spent much time in central Texas, but the place I head to when I get off the plane in Houston is "Otto's" off of Memorial. Their "Q" is always good. Angelo's never impressed me for their "Q" but they do have the coldest beer in Texas. The other place I always hit if I'm in the area is one of the Bodacious joint's either in Longview or Greenville, with the nod going to Longview by a nose. There's another place in Plano, right off of Preston and Independence, but I can't remember the name of it.

Rudy's (loop 360) is some of the best BBQ in Austin... Except that you can't really get good BBQ in austin. At least I've never found any in the 20 some odd years that I have lived here. If you want truely excellent BBQ, your best bet is to drive to austin... pick a direction... and drive for 30 -60 min. Austin is surrounded by some of the best BBQ I've ever had. A true shame the seige has yet to penetrate Austin's city limits.

As forr the best in Texas, I gotta say it's Smitty's in Lockheart. Just thinking about it tends to make anyone who has been there salivate. Just in case you get lost while your in Lockheart (almost impossible) if you come across Krautz's you may as well stop inside. It won't dissapopint, but it isn't any Smitty's. I suppose you could go to Black's as well, but only if Smitty's & Kreuz Market are out of meat. Better make sure the DQ is closed as well.

In the other direction Elgin has some truely excellent BBQ as well. Southside Market makes what might be the best sausage in the state. I like to eat it on crackers with a hint of the spicy sauce.

Rudy's BBQ is overpriced crap in a fake country store atmosphere. Just because it's on butcher paper doesn't make it any good. Their chopped beef is worse than 7-11 quality. I wouldn't wish their food on dead people. You are correct in that all of the great BBQ is outside Austin, namely Lockhart, Elgin, Taylor, Luling, Llano etc.My personal favorite has always been Blacks in Lockhart. Their brisket is very distinct and nearly always very fresh. City Market in Luling is very similar to Blacks and Smitty's in Lockhart is also very good. Not a fan of Kreuz, too much salt.

Rudy's BBQ is overpriced crap in a fake country store atmosphere. Just because it's on butcher paper doesn't make it any good. Their chopped beef is worse than 7-11 quality. I wouldn't wish their food on dead people.